Instructions

Game

Basics

The object of checkers is to be the first player to either capture all of your opponent's checkers or make it impossible for your opponent to make a move. The challenger is always red and the challenged player is always blue. Blue goes first and players then take turns moving one checker per turn. A single piece may move only forward along the black diagonal line, one square at a time. Red moves down the board, and blue moves up the board. You can capture your opponents checker by jumping over it when the square behind the opposing piece is empty. A checker can make multiple jumps as long as each move is legal. Players must jump if possible. The game will not allow you to make another move if a jump is possible.

Crowning

When a checker reaches the first row of the opponents side it becomes a king. A king can move backwards as well as forward. Kings can also make multiple jumps, but a piece that gets crowned must wait until the next turn before jumping out of the first row.

Points

The rankings of the players in the game are based on the points earned from completing games of checkers. Each game of checkers is worth a random amount of points.

Challenges

To challenge a player, first find the player in the rankings and click on their name. This will show you their details page where you can see their active games, their completed games, and a description of how many more challenges they can accept. If they can accept a challenge, and you can make a challenge, then you will see a link to challenge this player. Clicking this link will propose a game to them. The next time that player accesses the website, they will be able to accept or decline your challenge. You can retract a challenge at any time with no penalty.

Your opponent can reject the challenge. The penalty for rejecting a challenge is 1 point. This is to encourage players to accept challenges. Old challenges may sometimes be automatically cleared from the queue depending a variety of random factors.

If your opponent accepts your challenge, the game will now appear in the Current Games section. You and your opponent take turns making moves. You and your opponent do not need to be online at the same time.

Time Limit

To keep games moving along, there is a time limit for each move. The default time limit is 5 days, so if you take longer than 5 days to make a move, you will automatically forfeit the game. You can raise and lower the time limit for each game by setting your minimum time. Your opponent will set their minimum time as well and the actual time limit will be the greater of the two values. Example: You set your time limit to 3 days and your opponent sets theirs to 7 days. The time limit for each move in this game will be 7 days. You can use the comment box to agree on a suitable time limit and you can change the time limit at any point in the game.

Forfeiting

You can forfeit a game at any time and concede the points to your opponent. If fewer than 10 moves have been made, no points are awarded to the winner. You will automatically forfeit the game if you do not make a move within the time limit. If fewer than 10 moves have been made you lose 10% of the point value of the game.

Draws

You can offer to have any game be a draw. Your opponent must agree to have the game become a draw otherwise the game continues. If either you or your opponent moves after a draw is offered, the draw will be retracted and the game will continue. In a draw, no points exchange hands.

Your Queue

Anyone can challenge you to a game. Your challenges appear in your "People Challenging You" list on your details page. This list is sorted in chronological order and you can only accept the challenge at the top of the list. You may decline any challenge, but there is a penalty of 10% of the game's points. If you are at your game limit, and do not accept or reject the top most challenge after some number of days, it may be automatically rejected.

You may challenge multiple opponents simultaneously however if you reach your maximum for the number of challenges in play, some of your outstanding challenges may be retracted automatically without a penalty.

Notification

When it is your turn to move in one of your games, a small checker icon will appear next to the word "My Details".

Game Limits

When you first get your checkers account here at Braingle, you be able to play 4 concurrent games. If you like playing checkers and want to have more games in play at any given time, you can easily and instantly upgrade your account by purchasing upgrades. $5 will purchase you 4 more concurrent games. You can upgrade here or by using the link above your stats.

Inactive Players

If a player has not made a move for 14 days, they will be turned into an inactive player. Inactive players cannot play any games so you cannot challenge them. Challenging someone activates your account again. Any player who remains innactive for 90 days will have their account deleted.